On December 22nd SunTV personality and Toronto Sun columnist Ezra Levant let loose one of the most childish moments of Canadian television. His program, “The Source”, discussed the issue of the company Chiquita decision to boycott oil from Alberta’s oil sands. Levant was enraged that the company vice-president Manuel Rodriguez would dare decide where company money he is responsible for should go. And that he should decide not to purchase such oil for whatever reasons he may have.

Levant decided to go an a 10 minute tirade against the man and the company’s decision. He ended the program by saying: “Hey… Manuel Rodriguez,

.” That’s right, a professional journalist decided to end his show with profanity aimed at his particular ethnicity. The phrase is used in Mexico only, it means literally, “go fuck your mother”. This is not the first time Levant has used vulgar language rather than making a valid point or expressing an opinion. Previously he referred to the OccupyToronto as a “dirty, semen-stained, overflowing bathroom protest”. Foul imagery seems to be on his mind quite frequently. This is a repeated pattern of behaviour for Levant who quite enjoys hs
is American-style vitriol. This type of behaviour is not appropriate for television or the family hours in which it was broadcast.

When asked by the Toronto Star if he regretted anything about the insult he said:

“I only regret that it did not get more coverage, which is why I am excited about your inquiry. I just hope Chiquita doesn’t send some FARC terrorists after me in return or try some banana republic-style coup to take over my TV show.”

The signorence of this comment is overwhelming. It seems like he made the comment merely for the attention, to get his show some focus, the fledgeling new channel has had difficult gaining an audience. Perhaps Levant feels that insulting people is the way to get ratings. Its been successful for Bill O’Reilly a man I feel he tries to emulate. To actually go to the point of personal insults just to get views to your show is absolutely pathetic. Its because of stunts like this our political landscape is declining into an idiotic circus. People like Ezra Levant are the problem.

In the second part of his three part failure, he jokingly says Chiquita might send FARC terrorists after him. Of course Levant is referring to a court case four years ago in which Chiquita was fined $25 million for paying protection money to FARC guerrillas. They paid FARC off and FARC in return wouldn’t attack them. Clearly it was a case of extortion, Chiquita was pretty much forced to give them money. (I have no sympathy for Chiquita, formerly known ans United Fruit.) Evidently Levant doesn’t seem to know anything about FARC and its operation at all.

Ezra Levant’s words claim that they are working together, that FARC is even contracted to them. FARC is listed as a terrorist organization by the US and many other countries as well. Levant has pretty much claimed that they are in business. So Levant is saying that Chiquita is working with and giving money to (funding) a terrorist organization. Well, that there is what we call slander and “insinuation of a criminal act without evidence”. Those are civil offenses Mr. Levant, one that would be very costly in court. I suggest to Chiquita that they pursue seeking remedy against not only Levant, SunTV, but its parent company QMI Media as well. An accusation of such a heinous nature should not be left unchallenged.

Oh, and the last bit of that tremendously ignorant rant. It was Chiquita (then known as United Fruit) in conjunction with the conservative Republican President Eisenhower and the CIA who over threw Latin American leader Jacobo Árbenz of Guatemalan in 1954. This is the incident in which he is referring too. Perhaps Levant just “forgot” that inconvenient fact of conservative history.

Overall what Levant did was terribly childish and was in support of typical conservative two-faced speak. He, like all conservatives, talk a big game of no one telling you what to do with your money, and then bashes someone for not doing what they want with their money.

Levant, television is not the place to spew hatred… That’s what the internet is for.